282 Mr. J. Y. Johnson oti rare and little-known 



white ; the fins white. There is a row of small silver spots at 

 each side of the belly, with about four oblique rows of two or 

 three similar spots ascending to the lateral line. 



The head, compared with the length, is as 1 to 4 ; and the 

 height compared with the length is as 1 to 7 nearly. 



The head is somewhat compressed ; it has a thin bony crest 

 pn the snout, terminating abruptly between the eyes, which are 

 large and round. They are contained three times in the head, 

 and are situate less than a diameter from the snout. The 

 upper side of the orbit takes part in the outline of the head. 

 At the antero- superior part of the orbit there is a short spine, 

 which projects forwards. The opercular pieces are scaly, but 

 unarmed; the opercle has an emargination above the base of 

 the pectoral fin. The mouth is of large dimensions, and ex- 

 tends much beyond the eyes. Both jaws are set with minute 

 teeth in narrow villiform bands ; and there are three longitudinal 

 rows on the tongue, separated by grooves. The upper border 

 of the mouth is formed by the dentiferous premaxillary. The 

 palatine bones are armed with teeth, but not the vomer. The 

 entopterygoids carry a broad patch of minute teeth. The inside 

 of the mouth and the gill-covers are deep black. The branchio- 

 stegal membrane has three silver blotches at each side. 



The first dorsal fin is short, high, and placed at the middle of 

 the back. The first two rays are short. The second dorsal fin 

 is rudimentary. The 'pectoral fins are inserted rather below the 

 middle of the height, and are narrow, pointed, and long, reach- 

 ing back nearly to the end of the first dorsal fin, and a little 

 beyond the vent. The abdominal ventral fins are inserted under 

 the anterior part of the first dorsal, and are about as long as the 

 pectoral fins. The vent is placed a little before the middle of 

 the fish, and the anal fin commences just behind it. The caudal 

 fin is deeply forked and tipped with black. 



On the under edge of the tail there are four short stout spines, 

 which are hooked and directed backwards ; on the under edge 

 are three similar spines*. 



The lateral line is straight, and there are about thirty-four 

 scales upon it. 



This description has been drawn up from an individual taken 

 in the month of November. It appears to belong to the Medi- 

 terranean species which has been described by Valenciennes 

 under the name of Scopelus Bonapartii, to which, however, he 

 assigned a fin-formula slightly differing from that of my fish, 

 viz. 1st. D. 13. A. 13. C. 25. P. 13. V. 8. In the 'Fauna 

 Itahca' it is suggested that S. {Lampanyctus) Bonapartii and 



* Valenciennes describes the tail of S. Bonapartii as having three spines 

 above and four below. 



